June 2009 entries

June 29, 2009

The 4th of July weekend is almost here, and many people are having parties to celebrate. We are having an engagement party for my sister on Sunday, and we are doing a red, white and blue theme. I thought would share the drink recipes we are using along with a few of our favorite party cocktails and punches. All of these drinks will put a fun patriotic twist to your BBQ or picnic this Forth of July. Enjoy!

Let's start off with a fun non-alcoholic party punch that the kids (and many adults) just love! -

Add orange and lemon slices and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves and fruit releases some juice but is not completely crushed, about 1 minute. Stir in orange juice, Triple Sec, and wine; refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.Before serving, add ice cubes and stir briskly to redistribute settled fruit and pulp; serve immediately.

If you are looking to serve individual cocktails, offer something fun and patriotic. Here are a few of our favorites

June 26, 2009

The winner of our Patriotic Personalized Banner giveaway is ..... comment number 1!

Stephanie H is our winner! Here is her winning comment -

"For a yummy, fresh, 4th of July treat one year I made red white and blue stars and stripes jello bowl. I made blueberry jelly and used a star mold and made a tray of red jello that I cut up into squares (or rectangles). I put the blue stars along the sides of a clear glass bowl and filled with cool whip and the red 'stripes'. It festive looking, absolutely delicious and a big hit at the BBQ!!"

July 4th is on the way, and I have to say I’m excited. For one I’ll be in the nation’s capitol for the celebration to visit my buds and have an amazing time. Secondly the weather has been phenomenal recently and I’m excited for cookouts and parties in general. I wanted to share some of my favorite activities to do at a cookout and other summer outdoor events. I’m hoping to enjoy these activities this Fourth.

1. Volleyball. I’m all in favor of little kids trying to hit the ball over the net but there comes a point when the big kids and adults play. This is one of my favorites because there is always the one guest who takes it a little too seriously and thinks they’re a little bit better than everyone else. They always high five after a decent play and then yell in anguish when somebody miss hits the ball. There is always one and they never cease to amuse me.

2. Lawn Games. This is more than volleyball. I’m talking about Horseshoes and Bocce and Croquet, among others. I only play these games at cookouts and other summer outdoor festivities. These games are simple enough for anybody to play but they can also be incredibly competitive. I enjoy how it’s all fun and then the game gets close and the competitor comes out in everyone. I feel like a professional athlete with all the pressure on me to win the game. Is this rational? No, but I’m not going to argue with it.

3. Food. I know this sounds silly but hear me out. I love eating first and foremost. I really enjoy when everybody brings a special dish to share. There’s always a variety of food and it’s always delicious. This is a showcase for everyone’s food, so you know you’re getting the best of the best.

4. Fireworks. When I was little I was terrified of fireworks. Over the years I’ve grown to love them. I’ve also learned that you don’t need to be in the park to watch them; I like sitting outside with the party and enjoying the show. I’m really excited because this year I’ll be in Washington D.C. and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the show.

I’m excited for this upcoming Fourth of July for the party, the weather, my friends, everything. I don’t think I’ll be disappointed, although I think I’m going give my friends a hand with this Patriotic Party Planning Guide. We all occasionally need help or ideas and I know they’re too stubborn to ask for any so I’m going to help them out. And don’t worry I’ll let you know how the party goes.

June 22, 2009

Banners are fun at any party but they seem to work even better on July 4th. Here are five reasons you should use a banner at your Independence Day party.

1. Get Found in a Crowd. Many of us go to the Community Park to cook out, throw the Frisbee around and watch fireworks. It’s tough finding your group in a sea of humanity, especially if you are lugging a heavy cooler around. A banner, even a small one, makes it a lot easier for everyone to locate the party. 2. They Last. These parties are outside and weather can be an issue. Even a brief shower can ruin your best home made effort. Getting a weather resistant banner gives you one less thing to worry about.3. It’s an inexpensive welcome sign. This is just one man’s opinion but I always relax a little when I see a welcome sign (or welcome flags) at a party. I immediately assume it will be a great party. I guess it makes me feel the host paid attention to the details which is always a good “sign”.4. Acknowledge special people or events. Whether it’s Scott and Amy’s anniversary or Grandma’s birthday there always seems to be a special occasion worthy of fireworks. Most custom banners let you send a personalized message while keeping the patriotic theme. 5. To celebrate the USA. This is probably the best reason. July 4th isn’t just a party but a celebration of the American dream. We should all remember the dream and the work we have to do to make that dream a reality. Seems like this year that message should be shouted across the nation. A banner is a good way to start.

June 19, 2009

If you’re hosting a party with people coming in from out of town, you’ll want to make sure they feel welcome when they arrive at their hotel.A hotel welcome basket has become expected from out-of-town guests and I think it should be expected.If your friends and family are spending time and money to come to town for your event, you should thank them and welcome them as soon as they arrive!

Have fun with your welcome bags!Sure, you’ll want to add snacks and drinks, but why not theme the bag a bit to your city or to your event?I got married on July 4th, so we had patriotic theme welcome bags! Since July 4th is quickly approaching, I thought I’d share some ideas for a patriotic welcome bag (or any welcome bag!):

We started with American flag tote bags.They carried LOTS of stuff and our friends are still using them 5 years later.We added some snacks: cookies, pretzels, water, juice, fruit, etc.(Go to a local Costco or Target to stock up for your bags.)

And, of course we included a welcome letter with a weekend schedule, maps and a list of fun things to do in Cleveland for “free time” during the weekend.

The bags were stuffed and were a big hit!When making your welcome bags, make sure to add some snacks, a nice welcome and a weekend schedule.Beyond that have fun with themed favors and local goodies.It will make for a wonderful start to an event weekend!

June 17, 2009

Fourth of July and wonderful weather approach, are you ready? I’m going to assume that you’re probably going to be invited to a cookout for the holiday and maybe you don’t know what to bring or you want to bring something different. Sure you could go to the store and buy pre-made potato salad, but where’s the fun in that? Your host is going all out and grilling you burgers, hot dogs and maybe ribs if you’re lucky. The cookout deserves a wonderful side dish and I have just the one for you. These beans are phenomenal and will wow all other guests at the party.

Please note for optimal results of deliciousness allow for 1-2 days to prepare this recipe. This is not meant to scare you away, in fact these beans are really easy to prepare and it’s a forgiving recipe.

Directions:Brown the sausage in a skillet.Add diced onion to sausage. Allow to cook together for 10-15 minutes.Add one can of Beans and slow cook for 30 minutes.Add second can of Beans and stir thoroughly.Stir enough over the next 4-6 hours that you don’t scorch the beans.

This is a wonderfully simple recipe, but don’t be fooled you’ll love the way the beans come out. Other guests will take a bite of your beans and they will come back for seconds, and maybe ask you how you made them. You can tell or you can keep it a secret and claim it a “family secret.” Either way enjoy the 4th of July and other future cook-outs.

June 15, 2009

We are excited to host our second giveaway here at the Daily Party Dish! Picking a product to giveaway is hard to do when you have so many fun things to choose from, but right now we are super excited to introduce a new line of Personalized Banners, so that is what we are going with. They are so new that they are not even for sale in our store. How about that for exclusive sneak peek?

Here is a pic of one of the Party Mom's enjoying her birthday banner (small size) -

One lucky winner will receive a custom weather proof, patriotic themed personalized banner. Hang it up at your 4th of July Party or take it to the parade, it is sure to be a hit!

The banner will feature your own personalized message. Choose from three sizes (18"x36", 24"x48", or 36"x72") and three designs:

4th of July Personalized Banner Giveaway

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this blog post with a tip or an idea for a 4th of July party. If you are short on ideas you can always steal one from our 4th of July Planning Guide.

Want some extra entries? Do any of the following and receive an extra entry! Just leave a separate comment for each item completed.

Recently my parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, an amazing achievement no doubt. My father wanted to take my mother shopping in Columbus and a nice dinner for this past Saturday. What my mother didn’t know was that my father invited the rest of the family down to join the dinner.

Of course my mother wanted to celebrate the anniversary as well, in surprise form. My father only told my brothers and me of his plan when my mother sent out an email. She was planning a surprise party on the same Saturday. This clearly would not work because she wouldn’t be in the same city. I sprung into action, and by action I mean I sent out an urgent email.

I had to have my mom’s invite list lie to her so she couldn’t throw the party. I told them to be creative but believable. Easier said than done; I ran into some confusion. One uncle thought there were two events in the same place, just at different times and that everyone should go to both. I’m still not sure how he came to this conclusion. Others were confused regarding the wording of my email. I finally convinced them to lie and come up with good responses. I believe some of the responses ranged from graduation of a daughter to a Bar Mitzvah to lots of golf. My mom was bummed that EVERYONE was busy on that Saturday.

I thought I had dodged a bullet. My mother, however, would not be stopped. Her next great plan was to take my father golf club shopping and then to dinner on that blasted Saturday. She also decided to make the dinner a surprise dinner with my brother and me attending. She made reservations and everything. I tried all I could to convince her that Saturday was a bad day, and that the next Saturday would be better. She was set in her ways, and Saturday was her day to celebrate with my father. I thought I was doomed.

When they gave each other their gifts, I watched from afar trying not to act interested but being very aware of what was happening. My mom gave her gift first and my dad simply said he was busy on Saturday. My Mom was bummed, because all of the planning for Saturday had been a struggle. My father explained his gift to her, which explained why he was busy on Saturday. Her comment to me was “I guess we’re not going to dinner on Saturday.” I was surprised she didn’t start putting the pieces together but I wasn’t complaining.

Things were working out. My mother appeared to have no idea of the surprise. I suggested that I borrow her car so I could drive to Pittsburgh and visit my buddy. While I do want to visit my friend I just wanted to throw her off the potential surprise party. My mom usually has a nose for these kinds of things and I needed a reason to not be in Cleveland, much less Columbus.

On Saturday morning I lied to my mom again, leaving a note saying that I misplaced my key and that they should have fun. I didn’t misplace my key; I just gave it to my neighbor so they could watch my dog. Again, my mom didn’t think it was suspicious and her keys were waiting for me when I got home. I guess it’s a good thing I consistently misplace things that are important to me.

My brothers and family and I all arrived before my parents to the restaurant. There was some uncertainty to this because my uncle had gotten turned around a bit and we weren’t sure they’d make it in time. Luckily they did. It would have been unfortunate if they would have arrived at the same time.

When we saw my parents walking up the stairs we all leaned away from the window and held our breath. My mom walked in and was examining the hole-in-the-wall restaurant. She didn’t even notice us. When my father pointed us out she literally jumped out of her shoes. The surprise worked and I didn’t feel bad about the lies and the behind the scenes work because it’s all worth it when the surprise actually works.

June 12, 2009

I helped plan a dinner at my son’s preschool last month.It was a really fun evening!All of the kid’s classes made decorations that we used as centerpieces and as decorations in the rooms.(I’m telling you, there is nothing cuter than a flower centerpiece made by a 3 year old)

We had a pizza, pasta and salad dinner and working with a group of moms concerned about anyone going hungry, we ordered way too much food.WAY too much food.At the end of the evening we had sheets of pizza and big pans of pasta leftover.

Someone offered a great suggestion for all of the leftovers that I thought was “blog-worthy.”We called a local fire department and asked the crew there if they would like the leftovers.They were more than happy to take the food off our hands!At the end of the party, my 3 year old and I brought tons of food to the guys at the station.They were thrilled and my son got a personal tour of the fire trucks.How cool.

So, if you’re looking for something to do with all of your leftovers, consider this as an option.It’s certainly better than letting all of the food go to waste!

Amy

P.S. We also learned that night that police stations are NOT allowed to take food donations, so stick with the fire department.And be sure to call and see if they are interested before you show up at their door.

June 10, 2009

I’ve been worrying about New Year’s Eve 2010. Yeah, it’s June and it seems a bit early, but I’ve actually been worrying since 2008 about New Years 2010. (And I’m an event planner, I like to think ahead!)

At the end of last year I bought my 2009 sunglasses. You know the ones where you look through the “00”s? I get them every year and I love all the great pictures we get with them on New Years Eve. But now I just can’t figure out what’s going to happen for New Year’s 2010. I mean, even in the 1990s and 1980s, these glasses were doable.

How are we going to get year glasses for New Years and for graduation parties in 2010? Is it the end of an era? Do we have to wait until 2020 and have part of the “0” and part of the “2” cut out? Will they just stick a “1” in the middle of our noses? I’ve even asked some of our party supply vendors and they didn’t have answers for me yet.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I promise as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know. Fingers crossed…